"What a pity... If I had a physical body, with just this Metallic Essence and the immortal techniques, I could reach Foundation Establishment Realm within three months and Purple Mansion Realm in six years..." Joy flickered in his brightened eyes as he muttered, "I wonder if there are other similar relics in this world. With just one glance, the rewards would be immeasurable!"
Suppressing his excitement, he silently reminded himself, "Caution... I must remain cautious. Though this Metallic Essence could make me a master strategist in this realm, I am still within the territory of the Golden Core Realm experts. I must tread carefully and proceed slowly."
As he pondered his plans, the murky glow in the sky gradually dispersed, casting down a ray of white light. Lu Jiangxian felt the gradual restoration of the mirror artifact's power. Though his anticipation for the jade buckle had diminished, his heart still stirred with some delight.
"Not only do I have three more talisman seeds, but the Supreme Yin Profound Light has also reached the power of the Purple Mansion Realm!" Lu Jiangxian's eyes gleamed faintly as he gauged the feedback from the world. Though he couldn't fully grasp the level of power associated with the Purple Mansion Realm, based on his past experiences, it likely meant that a direct strike could instantly kill a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator.
"The Supreme Yin Profound Light must not be used carelessly..." His gaze lingered on the Bright Yang Metallic Essence before him. With a slight thought, the essence shifted, transforming into a beam of light and manifesting a human face.
This face appeared resolute and commanding, with a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes radiating a dignified masculine charm. However, it was not brutish or aggressive, but rather an inspiring and enthralling presence.
His brows were broad and smooth, and his golden pupils glowed faintly under the shadow of his nose, exuding an air of dominance and cunning.
"Great Ancestor of Wei, Li Qianyuan..." The Bright Yang Essence, passed down through countless years, instinctively displayed the visage of its original owner first. Gradually, the face morphed into that of a pale, slender youth, then shifted rapidly through a series of faces—each belonging to ancient cultivators who had once interacted with the Metallic Essence.
Finally, the sequence slowed and settled on the youthful face of an inexperienced young man.
"Chu Yi." Lu Jiangxian studied the face intently, his gaze lingering on the brows and the bridge of the nose. "It truly is Chu Yi!"
But then, to his astonishment, the features began to overlap with the earlier face he had seen. He froze in place, his expression shifting to one of disbelief. Moments later, he exclaimed, "Li Qianyuan! Chu Yi is the reincarnation of Li Qianyuan! How can this be? This is impossible! How could Mount Luoxia..."
His words trailed off abruptly. With a change in his hand seals, the Metallic Essence began to shift once more. Lu Jiangxian carefully examined its patterns, discovering that over the past millennium, Li Qianyuan had reincarnated a staggering nineteen times.
The metallic essence in his hand slowly reverted to its original conical form, floating quietly in Lu Jiangxian's palm. He sat back down on the stone bench, his expression dark as he muttered, "Mount Luoxia... how ruthless Mount Luoxia is!"
Lu Jiangxian had long determined that the Bright Yang Fruition had an owner, but he had not realized that this person was still Li Qianyuan.
In hindsight, Li Qianyuan, as perhaps the first emperor to achieve mastery over the Bright Yang Essence, had single-handedly built the unprecedented centralized feudal state of the Great Wei. His actions, from Lu Jiangxian's current level of insight, ensured that as long as he lived, no one else could hope to touch the Bright Yang Fruition.
However, the True Monarchs of Mount Luoxia, desiring the Bright Yang for themselves, had to contend with the fact that a Golden Core Realm cultivator was nearly immortal in this world, capable of constant reincarnation. The only way to seize the Fruition Attainment was to repeatedly bring about Li Qianyuan's reincarnation and death. Each cycle of destruction and resurgence chipped away at his fate and divine abilities, inching the True Monarchs closer to their goal.
And yet, something had gone wrong with Li Qianyuan. He seemed to have lost his memories. With each reincarnation, he failed to recall his past lives, repeatedly falling into Mount Luoxia's grasp.
"Everyone thought Chu Yi bore a thread of fate, unrivaled in this world. They envied his ability to play among mortals, to return north to Mount Luoxia, and assumed he was merely a True Monarch toying with the world." Lu Jiangxian closed his eyes slightly and murmured, "Who would have thought... who could have imagined... that behind it all was a scheme using the states of Wu, Yue, and Zhao as pawns on a chessboard, corrupting the Bright Yang Fruition time and time again? I fear that with every cycle, multiple True Monarchs are watching from the Great Void."
"No wonder... Chu Yi, with fate upon him, was so unstoppable. Even when Bright Yang descended, the threads of fate scattered across a few lucky individuals, each one immensely formidable! This was precisely to exhaust his fate and divine abilities to the fullest!" Lu Jiangxian concluded, "What a ruthless Mount Luoxia!"
Lu Jiangxian exhaled lightly and quickly connected the dots to the collapse of the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven.
"When control over the Bright Yang Fruition Attainment reached a certain level, they first caused the Eastern Fire Grotto Heaven of the Cui Family to fall. This led to the emergence of numerous Bright Yang Dao Lineage across the land and overseas... Why deliberately allow these inheritances to flow out?" He lowered his gaze to the small strand of Metallic Essence suspended in his hand.
Although Lu Jiangxian had gained some profound insights into the nature of Metallic Essence and fate through immortal techniques, his understanding of Fruition Attainments remained limited. He could only speculate, "On the surface, it looks like compensation for various sects... but considering their usual practice of strictly sealing techniques and my earlier deductions, this cannot be so simple! This suggests... Mount Luoxia hopes to see Bright Yang cultivators arise both on the mainland and beyond the seas, likely as part of their larger plan..."
The next moment, Lu Jiangxian suddenly recalled the sight of the five True Monarchs gathered around Green Pine Temple. His chest tightened, and he exhaled softly, suppressing his growing unease. He comforted himself, "I have already chosen Bright Yang and now possess the Bright Yang Metallic Essence... I have come this far."
With a gentle wave of his hand, he retrieved an object from the table before him.
This was the result of years of effort, a Grade Five Purple Mansion Realm technique written using the Metallic Essence and references from numerous other techniques. Having reviewed it with his newfound immortal techniques, Lu Jiangxian was reassured of its perfection. Finally, he allowed himself a sigh of relief.
The item was a golden jade slip with intricate patterns, engraved with small characters that read, Radiant Essence Scripture .
After putting everything in order, a bold idea arose in Lu Jiangxian's mind. His gaze swept downward, and his divine sense extended outward, scanning the entirety of Moongaze Lake.
His attention lingered briefly on the core members of the Li Family, but he failed to find what he was seeking. His divine sense swept further until it reached the small town, where it rested on a young man standing in a courtyard, looking gently at the people around him.
This youth had broad eyebrows and an imposing yet composed demeanor. Dressed in a fine robe, his smile radiated warmth. This was none other than Li Chengliao.
Li Chengliao had navigated the situation with Xu Xiao deftly, earning the favor of many elders. Recently, he had been riding a wave of success, having taken a new wife and broken through to the Qi Cultivation Realm. It was the prime of his life.
However, Lu Jiangxian's divine sense did not linger on Li Chengliao but instead shifted to the figure beside him.
Seated next to him was a gentle woman with a sweet smile. Though her beauty could not rival that of Liu Lingzhen, her actions exuded natural elegance, and her eyes shone brightly. She was lightly cradling her stomach. With a slight movement of his divine sense, Lu Jiangxian detected the presence of a fetus within her womb.
He softly formed a hand seal, and the Metallic Essence flowed with his will, surreptitiously linking to the void beyond. Lu Jiangxian murmured in a low voice, "Since Bright Yang descends and the threads of fate scatter, bringing forth fated ones, why should it not be my Li Family's turn?"